A crimping apparatus, or a hair crimper in short, is a type of hair styling apparatus which is designed to produce hair styling by application of heat and pressure to hair engaged between a pair of form-defining members. A typical hair crimper comprises a pair of complementary hair crimping members each having a transverse hair shaping profile. The transversal hair shaping profiles of the pair of hair crimping surfaces are substantially complementary, and the pair of crimping members are arranged so that when the pair of crimping members are cooperatively engaged, a length of hair transversely engaged between the crimping members will be under a crimping pressure exerted by the pair of crimping members. When heat is applied to the hair engaged between the pair of crimping surfaces, the engaged hair will be thermally set by the applied heat under crimping pressure. As a result, the hair will be set to follow the transverse hair shaping profile of the crimping members. Curls, ripples, waves, folds, creases or other corrugated styling shapes are common hair styling variations which are provided for by known hair crimpers.
In a conventional hair crimper, a hair crimping surface is usually formed as an integral part of a hair crimping member. The hair crimping member is usually formed as a moulded metallic block on which there is disposed a plurality of elongate and parallel hair shaping members protruding from the base of the moulded metallic block which defines the hair crimping surface. The plurality of parallel and elongate hair shaping members collectively define a corrugated surface having a transverse hair shaping profile, and the transverse hair shaping profile in turn defines the longitudinal profile of a length hair after crimping has been performed in the usual manner. The metallic blocks on the pair of crimping members are heated simultaneously in order to provide the necessary crimping heat.
Although conventional hair crimpers are regarded as mostly adequate in so far as hair styling is concerned, improvements in relation to the design of the crimping members, especially a design which leads to improvements in relation to the efficient use of heat, are desirable.